Gemaal de Waterwolf
Near the village of Oldehove lies the gemaal de Waterwolf . The pumping station is situated on the Reitdiep and is one of the largest of its kind in the Netherlands.
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Until 1877, excess water from the north-west of the province was drained naturally to the sea via the Reitdiep. Once the Reitdiep had been partially closed off by a dyke, this was no longer possible. To keep the land dry nonetheless, the provincial and national authorities decided to build a pumping station: the Waterwolf. Construction of the pumping station began in 1918 and two years later it was officially opened by Queen Wilhelmina. The pumping station was the first electrically powered pumping station in the Netherlands and is one of the largest of its kind. For a time after its opening, it was even the largest pumping station in Europe. Locally, the Waterwolf is also known as ‘Electra’, named after the water board that built it and managed it for many years. The building is now listed as a national monument.